The Battle of the Chill Bones

Intro

In the time of our grandfather’s grandfathers, they came. From the haunted Snowdowns—long associated with the undead and the subversion of our Queen’s will—they came. Led by their own dark lord, the demon Githraxus, summoned by the cultists of the evil priest Jarrun Croll, known as the Bonecaller. From cairns and crypts, thousands of dead were raised. The frontier stirred.

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The Frosty Morn

The Battle of the Rocks

The Queen’s forces sallied forth—some 800 souls—led by Syr Eldas Horn, oathbearer and paladin.
They met the enemy at the Battle of the Frosty Morn, fought at the ford of Essen. After three days of brutal fighting, the frontierfolk were routed, fleeing south toward Ravenhold.

They made a stand on a rocky prominence known as Beggintor. That contest is now called the Battle of the Rocks. Reinforcements from Westerguard arrived in time, smashing the undead lines and gaining the tor. The fighting continued for two more days, until the horde mysteriously withdrew.

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Restless Hope

A period of restless hope followed. Syr Edmas repaired to Ravenkeep to plan, reprovision, and seek allies. Westerguard returned to its garrisons, refusing further aid. Chourdulay committed 300 soldiers and 100 cavalry, led by knights of the realm. Marlahn sent 50 temple-knights—elite warriors trained to combat the undead.

Syr Edmas also gathered local replacements, returning his ranks to 600. One rider was sent north to the Arn-law, bearing a bag of dwarven silver quills—the ancient coin of contract. It was a gamble. The Arns answer only to coin and cause, not a foreign crown.

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The Queen’s Peace

Word came: an undead horde had crossed the Copper River at Essenford. Syr Edmas marched to meet the threat. The temple-knights had yet to arrive, but there was no time to wait.

The Battle of the Queen's Peace

At Dornby, the battle raged for two days. Then a courier arrived: the undead were pouring out of the Queen’s Peace at Ravenhold. Graveyards throughout the northern frontier are called the Queen's Peace. Through vile enchantment, they had tunneled beneath the graveyard and animated its dead. The temple-knights had arrived and were holding the line, but time was short.

Syr Edmas led his cavalry south with all haste, leaving foot soldiers to conclude the battle at Dornby.
They crashed into the undead lines, pinning them against Ravenkeep and the temple-knights. The Battle of the Queen’s Peace was costly. There were eleven knights killed, and another seven too wounded to fight.

Syr Edmas returned to Dornby to find the village secured. The horde had vanished northward, presumably back across the river and into the Chill Bones.

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The Shrine in the Hills

A ranger named Lawrill Black came forward, claiming knowledge of a dark shrine hidden in the Chill Bones. He agreed to lead Syr Edmas’ force.

Two days later, the army crossed the Essenford and pressed into the chalky hills. By mid-afternoon, they had surrounded the shrine. At dusk, the undead attacked. The fighting lasted through the night. The men held the perimeter, knowing the Bonecaller was among them.

As dawn broke, the line faltered. The Bonecaller seemed poised to escape. But then, war horns sounded. A force of Arnhic mercenaries arrived, having marched through the night.

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The Midnight Oath

The undead ogre

The Arns turned the tide. Syr Edmas caught Jarrun Croll in the open, guarded by the animated corpse of
an ogre. He crossed steel with the beast, while his squire, Lisandra Torris, engaged the Bonecaller. The fight was punishing, but Syr Edmas prevailed. Lisandra struck down the priest, though she was grievously wounded.

Syr Edmas exhorted the Veiled Queen to spare her. She granted his petition. A shrine was erected on the site. In later years, Syr Edmas Horn became Saint Edmas Horn, and the shrine was rededicated to him. A replica stands within the walls of Ravenkeep.

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Legacy

The undead horde was broken. The Copper March entered a season of uneasy peace. Yet Jarrun Croll’s body was never found. Lady Lisandra swore she struck him down, but the Bonecaller’s remains vanished—whether stolen, scattered, or spirited away, none can say.

Many Arnhic mercenaries chose to remain. With sanction, they claimed homesteads, married into frontier families, and became part of the land they helped save. Their descendants still bear the sigil of that night—the horn crest, the midnight oath.

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Closing
This is how legends are forged in Aranor. Not by prophecy, but by vow and blood. The Midnight Oath lives on—in the names we speak, the shrines we tend, and the peace we fight to keep.

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I can help you format this with sidebar annotations, map links, or a character spotlight on Lisandra Torris or Lawrill Black if you’d like to expand the series.

Vows and Legends in Aranor

 

Post Two: Vows that Forge Legends

Intro
Assets give us the shape, but vows give us the weight. In Ironsworn, vows are progress tracks—but in Aranor, they’re more than that. They’re testimony. They’re the stories characters carry, the promises that shape the world.

Each archetype I shared last time—Duelist, Champion, Hunter, Warden, Ritualist—grows not just through ability, but through the vows they swear and fulfill. Here’s how those vows scale, from personal to world-shaping, and how they make a character feel mechanically legendary in play.

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Legendary Duelist

Minor Vow: Best a rival in single combat before the gates of Castle Perilous.
Dangerous Vow: Defeat the champion of Ravenhold to prove your mastery.
Epic Vow: Become known across the Copper March as the greatest swordsman alive.

Duelists build legend through decisive victories. Each vow fulfilled adds weight to their name—and their rolls.

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Oathbound Champion

Minor Vow: Protect Tarnstead from raiders along the Copper River.
Dangerous Vow: Defend Ravenhold’s liege against assassination.
Epic Vow: Uphold the honor of your order across all Aranor.

Champions grow through service and sacrifice. Their vows are shields, and their legend is forged in defense.

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Beast-Hunter

Minor Vow: Track and slay the wolf haunting Dunhill’s outskirts.
Dangerous Vow: Hunt the serpent of Chill Bones.
Epic Vow: Rid the Copper March of its greatest predator, a beast of legend.

Hunters earn their myth one quarry at a time. Their vows are hunts, and each fulfilled promise sharpens their edge.

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Warden of the Wild

Minor Vow: Restore balance to a blighted grove near the Copper River.
Dangerous Vow: Call the storm to drive invaders from the March.
Epic Vow: Bind yourself to the land, becoming its eternal guardian.

Wardens grow through communion and elemental resonance. Their vows deepen their bond with Aranor’s living soul.

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Ritualist of the Veil

Minor Vow: Perform a forbidden rite to reveal hidden truths in Ravenhold.
Dangerous Vow: Seal a spirit haunting Castle Perilous.
Epic Vow: Master the Veil, commanding powers feared across Aranor.

Ritualists walk the edge of power and consequence. Their vows are thresholds—and crossing them changes everything.

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Closing
Legend in Aranor isn’t granted—it’s forged. Assets give the shape, vows give the weight. Together, they ensure that when you play a Duelist, Champion, Hunter, Warden, or Ritualist, your legend grows both narratively and mechanically.

If you adapt these archetypes for your own world, I’d love to hear how they evolve. And if you play in Aranor—may your vows be true, and your legend echo.

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Assets and Legends in Aranor

 

Post One: Aranor’s Legendary Archetypes

Intro
Some of you know I’ve been circling the question of how to make characters in Aranor feel mechanically legendary. Mythras showed me how organic growth and special effects can make a swordsman play like a myth at the table. Ironsworn, though, gives me a different lens: assets. They’re modular, narrative-driven, and they let a character grow into their legend without bending the world to fit the system.

So, with Ember’s help, I’ve forged a few custom assets for Aranor. Each one is tuned to feel legendary in play, while still breathing with the cadence of the world.

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Asset: Legendary Duelist

Category: Combat Talent
Requirement: You wield a blade and have sworn to prove your mastery.

Ability 1 – The Edge of Reputation

When you Strike or Clash in single combat, on a strong hit you may choose one:

• Disarm your foe.
• Drive them back, seizing initiative.
• Inflict fear, forcing hesitation.
  If you narrate the flourish, take +1 momentum.

Ability 2 – The Dance of Steel

When you Face Danger with Edge or Iron in combat, on a strong hit you may also gain +1 momentum or +1 spirit, as the duel fuels your legend.
On a miss, mark progress against your vow to prove your mastery—your failure becomes part of the story.

Ability 3 – The Name That Echoes

When you Fulfill Your Vow to prove your skill in combat, mark 1 extra experience.
In any settlement where your deeds are known, you may Compel with +1 when invoking your reputation as a duelist.

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Asset: Oathbound Champion

Category: Path
Requirement: You have sworn a sacred oath to a cause, order, or liege.

Ability 1 – The Weight of Oath

When you Swear an Iron Vow, take +1 momentum on a strong hit.
If the vow is tied to your order or liege, mark +1 progress when you Fulfill it.

Ability 2 – Shield of Legacy

When you Endure Harm or Endure Stress in defense of your oath, on a strong hit you may also:

• Seize initiative, rallying allies.
• Mark +1 progress on the vow you are defending.

Ability 3 – Champion’s Presence

When you Compel or Secure an Advantage by invoking your oath or reputation, take +1.
On a strong hit, allies gain +1 momentum as your presence steels their resolve.

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Asset: Beast-Hunter

Category: Path
Requirement: You have sworn to track and slay the beasts that haunt the marches and wilds.

Ability 1 – The Hunter’s Eye

When you Gather Information by studying signs of a beast, take +1.
On a strong hit, also gain +1 momentum as your quarry’s trail sharpens in your mind.

Ability 2 – The Hunter’s Strike

When you Strike or Clash against a beast, on a strong hit you may choose one:

• Exploit a weakness (inflict +1 harm).
• Drive it into disadvantage (take +1 momentum).
• Mark progress on a vow to slay or protect against this beast.

Ability 3 – The Hunter’s Legacy

When you Fulfill Your Vow to slay or protect against a beast, mark 1 extra experience.
In any settlement where your deeds are known, you may Compel with +1 when invoking your reputation as a hunter.

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Asset: Warden of the Wild

Category: Path
Requirement: You are bound to the land and its spirits, sworn to protect and learn from them.

Ability 1 – Voice of the Green

When you Gather Information in a natural setting, take +1.
On a strong hit, you may also:

• Learn of a nearby danger (beast, spirit, or elemental).
• Gain +1 momentum as the land whispers guidance.

Ability 2 – Element’s Touch

When you Face Danger or Secure an Advantage by calling on elemental forces (wind, flame, stone, or water), roll +Wits.
On a strong hit, choose one:

• Shape the element to aid you (take +1 momentum).
• Inflict harm or impose disadvantage on a foe (mark progress).

Ability 3 – Circle of Renewal

When you Sojourn in a community or sacred grove, you may roll +Wits instead of +Heart.
On a strong hit, allies gain +1 spirit or +1 momentum, as your presence renews them.
If you invoke the land’s blessing, mark +1 progress on a related vow.

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Asset: Ritualist of the Veil

Category: Path

Requirement: You have learned forbidden rites, binding yourself to powers beyond the mortal world.

Ability 1 – Whispered Incantations

When you Secure an Advantage or Gather Information by performing a ritual, roll +Wits.
On a strong hit, you may also:

• Glimpse hidden truths (ask one additional question).
• Gain +1 momentum as the ritual strengthens your resolve.

Ability 2 – Blood and Shadow

When you Face Danger or Endure Stress by invoking ritual power, roll +Wits.
On a strong hit, choose one:

• Inflict harm or disadvantage on a foe (mark progress).
• Shield yourself or an ally (take +1 momentum).
  On a miss, the ritual exacts a price: lose -1 spirit or -1 supply.

Ability 3 – Master of the Veil

When you Fulfill Your Vow tied to a ritual or arcane power, mark 1 extra experience.
In any settlement where your rites are feared or revered, you may Compel with +1 when invoking your reputation as a Ritualist.

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Closing
These assets are my attempt to bridge concept and mechanics, so that a Duelist, Champion, Hunter, Warden, or Ritualist doesn’t just sound legendary—they play legendary. Next time, I’ll show how vows forge their legends, scaling from personal promises to world-shaping oaths.

Gaming in the World of Aranor

 Some, admittedly few, of you may have noticed a surge in posts about my campaign world of Aranor. An oft-lamented fact of my gaming life is that I have not had a play group in a number of years, Of course, I am aware of online options, but for me, the face-to-face camaraderie is a huge part of the experience. Now, I may be able to start gaming with my daughter. Time will tell.

At any rate, I have been in an on-going search for the best system to represent Aranor. One of the biggest criteria is that I don't have to either:

• Bend Aranor to fit the system. or
• Rework huge parts of the system to fit Aranor

Ideally, the two will mesh almost perfectly, relieving me of the burden of being forced to craft a mechanically dense house rules document. Some house rules to better reflect the narrative realities of the setting are acceptable. Whole cloth system rewrites are not. 

There have been two contenders passed over, one strong contender, and one has emerged as the front-runner. Note that I love all of these games. They are all fantastic at what they do, and I would jump at a chance to play any of them. Just not any of them in Aranor,

Pathfinder 2e Remaster

I loved it at first because it has crazy character customization. At first blush, it looked like it would be able to represent any character of Aranor. To a degree it actually can, but you'd have to leave some nuance behind. It's still class-and-level, which makes character development abstract and static. It doesn't represent characters growing organically along the pathways that may have been envisioned for the character. Even if a character could manage it, the static nature of level-based advancement means that the more nuanced a character is, the longer it will take to realize the vision.

One D&D

Most of the same issues as PF2e, really. With less character customization options. It's still D&D, and I still love it, but not for Aranor.

Mythras

A strong contender. Mythras allows for the kind of organic character growth that is rich and rewarding, as you watch your character become who he was always meant to be. The gritty combat system is a perfect fit for Aranor. Special effects make legendary warriors truly fearsome. The multiple, unique, magic systems are almost perfect as-is. Mythras is an excellent fit, and not entirely out of the running.

Ironsworn

The front-runner. I'm old school to my bones. I won't regurgitate my bona fides for the umpteenth time. If you know . . . So, it's a little odd to me to be listing such a narrativistic game as my front-runner. The fact is, though, that Aranor is a living, breathing world, and that means nuance, subtlety, and edge cases abound. To truly, accurately, represent Aranor would require a rulebook the size of a crate of Lurian wine. Nobody would read such a beast, let alone internalize enough of it to be able to actually play. Aranor needs a system that is more lens than box. Plus, Ironsworn has a certain brooding tone that fits Aranor very well. As a final bonus, it is designed for solo play, which means I can use it to play in Aranor myself, to explore my own world, make discoveries, and leave a mark as a citizen of the world.

So, there you have it. I guess this is as much another one of those "journal" posts that I sometimes make as much to myself as to you. Rest assured, though, that the door is always open to something different, be it new, or reconsidering something past. Finding the right game is part of the fun, after all.

Knightly Traditions in Aranor

A Living Map of Oath and Origin

Knighthood in Aranor is not uniform. It is shaped by soil, by sovereign, by silence. It is a system of testimony—where every duel, every command, every refusal to kneel becomes part of the myth. All of the knightly traditions value honor, courage, and integrity. They are all expected to defend the defenseless, uphold the laws and interests of their nations, and bring honor to their sovereigns.

Understanding the Different Knights

As the saying goes:

A knight of the Realm sleeps in his armor.

A knight of Luvia has to don his armor.

A knight of Coraniz doesn’t own armor.

I don’t write these traditions to balance mechanics. I write them to honor legacy. To give players a way to act with meaning, or to hesitate with purpose. And maybe, just maybe, to remember that even silence can be sacred.

The Triune Realms: Chourdulay, Avoria, Marlahn

A Knight of the Realm

Here, knighthood is battlefield-born and strategically tempered. Knights are expected to excel in both
single combat and formation warfare. As they rise, they hone leadership and tactical skill—not just to fight, but to command with clarity and conviction.

Knights may dedicate themselves to one of several ideals:

• Knights of the Faith: Sworn to a church. Even across differing faiths, they consider one another brothers. It is bad form—almost sacrilege—for one church to send its knights against another.
• Knights of the Realm: Sworn to defend the triune realm itself. They answer only to the Council of Three, a body of Preceptors—one from each kingdom—who adjudicate all petitions for aid. Even a king must petition the Council, and it is the Council who decides not only if aid is granted, but which knight is chosen.

Knighthood here is not just martial—it is mythic. A living testimony of unity across borders.

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Luvia: The Bucolic Blade

A Luvian knight in
the vinyard

In Luvaria, knighthood bifurcates:

• Manorial Knights: Low-level nobility who manage estates, train local levies, and defend holdings. They are expected to hold their own in combat, but they are not famed warriors.
• Knights of the Realm: Elite defenders of the king and capital.

Occasionally, with their lord’s permission, a knight may dedicate himself to a temple, chapel, or abbey—blending martial service with spiritual stewardship.

Luvian knighthood is quieter, more pastoral. Less about glory, more about guardianship.

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A flamboyant Corani knight

Coraniz: The Flamboyant Duelist

Corani knighthood is theatrical, passionate, and steeped in personal myth. These knights excel in duels,
courtly intrigue, and public spectacle. They are brave—dangerous, even—but ill-suited for brutal battlefield engagements. They do not lead units. They inspire them.

Their cloaks are elaborate, their blades engraved, their oaths poetic. They are the Three Musketeers to Chourdulay’s Round Table. And when they fall, they fall with style.

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Knighthood in Aranor is not a system to be balanced or a trope to be borrowed. From the battlefield-tested discipline of the triune realms to the pastoral stewardship of Luvia and the flamboyant dueling culture of Coraniz, each knight carries a different cadence. Some wear their oaths like armor. Some swear them like poetry.

These traditions aren’t just backdrop—they’re invitation. To play with purpose. To act with legacy. To let every duel, every refusal, every moment of hesitation become part of the myth. And in that myth, to find something enduring.
Not just a knight.

A testimony.

Mythras Magic in Aranor

Magical Subsystems in Aranor

A Mythras Lens on Cultural Resonance

Magic in Aranor is not a monolith. It is regional, ritualized, and deeply tied to ancestry, geography, and testimony. These subsystems reflect how different cultures interact with the unseen—whether through spirits, saints, or the slow grind of study.

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1. Folk Magic

• 

  A warrior speaks a charm over his
  blade as he sharpens it

  
  Nature: Minor, practical workings tied to daily life and tradition.
  
  

• Regions:

  • Common: Northern Frontier, hillfolk, shepherds, rural communities.

  • Rare: Chourdulay, Avoria, Luvaria.

• Cultural Flavor:

  • Passed down orally, often tied to seasonal rites, household spirits, or ancestral tokens.

  • Example: “The Bell of the Goat”—a charm that wards off wolves, taught to shepherd children.

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2. Animism

A druid performs a moonlit rite

• Nature: Covenant with natural spirits—wind, tree, stone, beast.
  

• Regions:

  • Common: Northern Frontier, deep woods, isolated valleys.

  • Rare: Urban centers, Sardic City-States.

• Cultural Flavor:

  • In Aranor, Animism is practiced as a druidic tradition. Spirits are not commanded—they are revered as saints of the wild.

  • Animists form pacts with these spirits, treating them as sacred witnesses to the world’s memory.

  • Shrines are living—groves, cairns, springs—and rites are seasonal, tied to frost, bloom, and silence.

  • Example: “The Whispering Grove”—a sacred site where animists commune with the spirits of fallen warriors.

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3. Theism

A priest of The High Church

• Nature: Divine magic granted by gods or cults.

• Regions:

  • Common: Chourdulay, Avoria, Marlahn, Luvaria, Coraniz.

• Cultural Flavor:

  • Organized cults, saintly orders, and shrine‑based miracles.

  • Example: “The Vine-Saint of Luvaria”—a minor cult whose miracles bless vineyards and heal the sick.

Nerathi sorcerer

4. Sorcery

• Nature: Intellectual, formulaic magic—power through knowledge.
  

• Regions:

  • Common: Narath, Sardic City-States.

  • Outlawed: Coraniz (due to historical catastrophe or doctrinal schism).

• Cultural Flavor:

  • Secret orders, grimoires, and forbidden cults.

  • Example: “The Black Spiral of Nerath”—a sorcerous cult that believes in unraveling reality to glimpse truth.

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Regional Summary Table

Region	Common Magic Forms	Notes
Northern Frontier	Folk Magic, Animism	Pastoral, ancestral, spirit-bound
Chourdulay	Theism, rare Folk Magic	Shrine-based miracles, saint cults
Avoria	Theism	Courtly and structured
Marlahn	Theism	Blended with civic ritual
Luvaria	Theism	Bucolic, vineyard saints
Coraniz	Theism (Sorcery outlawed)	Doctrinal purity, historical trauma
Nerath	Sorcery	Cultic, sinister, reality-bending
Sardic City-States	Sorcery	Mercantile, pragmatic, ritual-heavy

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Magic in Aranor isn’t a system. It’s a memory. A covenant. A burden carried forward in silence or song. Whether whispered by the wind, etched in stone, or bound in ink, each tradition reflects a way of seeing the world—and a choice about how to live within it. I don’t build these systems to balance mechanics. I build them to honor legacy. To give players a way to act with meaning, or to hesitate with purpose. And maybe, just maybe, to remember that even silence can be sacred.

The Great Scarp

The Great Scarp

A Wound That Watches Still

The Great Scarp

North of Coraniz, the land breaks.

It doesn’t slope. It doesn’t roll. It drops—eight hundred feet from base to edge, a sheer cliff line marking the collapse of the northern lands after Zagrath’s fall. The ground northward rises again, slowly, over nearly a hundred miles. But the Scarp remains: a wound, a wall, a threshold.

Visible for leagues.
Felt in the bones.

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Geography and Resonance

The Scarp divides Coraniz from the lands of Zagrath’s fall. It is said the land itself bowed under the weight of his defeat, collapsing in grief. To stand at the edge is to witness the scale of ruin—and the endurance of those who survived.

Among the Corani:
“The Scarp is our wound, and our wall.”

Among Preceptors:
“The ruins watch still, though no men stand within them.”

Among storytellers:
“The Scarp is where the land itself remembers Zagrath’s fall.”

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Fortifications and Vigilance

The Corani once maintained a string of watch-posts and fortresses along the edge. Strongpoints against northern incursions. Beacons of vigilance. Many now lie in ruin, abandoned as the threat waned or resources dwindled. Some remain as haunted shells, their stones echoing with the memory of watchmen long gone.

The Scarp is both a geographic barrier and a mythic testimony.
Its fortifications mark the tension between vigilance and decay.
It remains a place of pilgrimage, ruin-delving, and remembrance.

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Baluarte Sangraval

Baluarte Sangraval

The Ruin That Refused to Bow

Built directly into the cliff edge at the eastern narrows of Coraniz, Sangraval’s towers once gleamed white against the red dusk. A stair of 300 steps climbed from the base to the fortress gate—a pilgrimage of vigilance. From its battlements, one could see leagues northward across the collapsed lands.

Sangraval was flamboyant.
Scarlet and gold banners streaming in the wind.
Corani captains swore oaths here, calling themselves Los Ojos de Sangraval (The Eyes of Sangraval).

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Reputation and Testimony

Among Corani storytellers:
“Sangraval fell, but its banners never lowered.”

Among frontier folk:
“The ruin still watches, though no men stand within.”

Among pilgrims:
“To climb the steps is to feel the weight of vigilance.”

Sangraval’s last captain, Don Alvaro de Maestre, refused to abandon the fortress. He and his men fought until the walls cracked, their banners burning in the wind, finally repelling the invaders. The ruin is said to echo with their voices—proud, defiant, unyielding. No Zagrathi force has assaulted Coraniz since.

Shrines at the stair’s base mark the courage of those who climbed, and those who fell.

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Final Thoughts

Looking northeastward across
the Zagathi Wastes

Sangraval is a ruin.

But its testimony endures.

Some say the fortress could be rebuilt, its banners raised again.
Others say it should remain a shrine—a scar that remembers.

The Scarp watches still.
And Sangraval sings in silence.